Wood Flooring Buying Guide
Wood flooring comes with a wide range of species, colors, grains and styles to choose from. BuildDirect will provide answers whether you are searching for solid hardwoods, reclaimed woods more than a century old, or the new technology of dimensionally stable engineered woods suitable for any humidity level. We provide ecologically sustainable wood flooring to fit any décor. Use our Buying Guide to find out what kind of wood flooring is right for you.
Where can I put a wood floor?
Even if wood flooring is exceptionally durable, the long exposure to moisture will cause distortions. Unsuitable for bathrooms and outdoor installations, wood floors are perfect for other areas in your home including the high traffic ones. Public areas of the home like living room, kitchens and hallways are the most popular installations for wood flooring.
What choices do I have?
Choices for wood types are numerous and each harvested wood has his distinctive properties, grain patterns and natural colors. In especially humid areas or low-lying coastal states where the land is below sea level, people should limit wood choices to tropical species or engineered woods for the enhanced dimensional stability. There is no limit in choosing the type of wood for homes built above grade or sea level. Choosing a particular wood may depend on style, color, costs, grain pattern, ease of installation or even feel.
Why choose wood?
Wood has a timeless beauty that will never go out of style and is a selection both ecologically and economically responsible. The most sustainable material on the planet is wood because it can grow anywhere and the guarantee of having wood from a managed growth forest is secured by the Lacey Act in compliance with FSC regulations on wood harvesting.
Even though a wood floor will be more costly than a cheap type of flooring, but it will last longer. It also requires less cleaning and maintenance and it will improve the air quality inside your home, which may lead to fewer respiration problems and allergies. Longevity of a wood floor means fewer replacements. As wood floors are nearly forever imagine that you’ll have to move your furniture to replace the flooring one time! You’ll never have to do it again.
Can I do it myself?
Completion of an engineered wood flooring project can successfully done even by a beginner because engineered wood is easy to cut and be put together like child’s toy, but the answer to this question is more complicated. Variation of technique comes hand in hand with the hardwood flooring varieties in density. Relatively easy to put together are tongue and groove floating floors installed over a concrete slab but installations which include extremely hard materials like bamboo and most hardwoods which are difficult to work with, should be installed only by professionals. Better hire a professional if you don’t have the tools and expertise to manage a hardwood installation because mistakes can be more costly. You won’t be sorry.
How will my floor wear over time?
Wood can take a lot of abuse over time but it is not immune. It can retain its beauty for 60 to 100 years and beyond if care it’s taken from dents, stains and scratches.
Can a wood floor be refinished?
Depending on the quality the wood most wood floors can be stripped, sanded and refinished a number of times. The number of sanding the floor depends on the coating of the wood, engineered wood are fairly thin and can be sanded a few times, the thicker the wood or veneer, the more times it can be sanded. Only extreme age and abuse floors may need a completely refinishing job.
Who Loves Wood Floors?
People with allergies. Most common cause of respiratory problems and aggravating allergies are pollen, mold, animal dander and years of dust that carpets can store affecting the quality of the air in your home. A tight seal against these elements is formed by the finish on a wood floor. Vacuuming and dry-mopping regularly will keep your home free from allergens, the only dust problem is the one you can see and wipe away.
People who like easy maintenance and clean-up. Cleaning is a breeze with the high-tech finishes on today’s wood floors. Vacuum or sweep frequently and run a mop dampened with vinegar and water about once a week and you’re done.
People with children.You will love wood if you don’t like the thought of your children playing on dirty carpet or floors. Wood floors prevent embedding of dirt, dust mites, mold and bacteria and give enough warmth and comfort for sitting.
Cleaning and Maintenance
· To remove dust, dirt, and grit,dust mop or vacuum with a soft brush or wood floor accessory.
· Dry the floor thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth.
A damp cloth or mop can be used, but don’t forget to avoid excessive water.
· Standing liquid will seep into the floor and can cause stains or warping. Clean spills immediately with a dry cloth, sponge, or paper towel.
· Do not use soap-based detergents, abrasive cleaners, or combined “clean and shine” products on any wood floor. A damp-mop solution of one-quarter cup of white vinegar and one quart of water is the best way to clean a wood floor. You may also check the manufacturer instructions for recommended cleaning products.
· Never use steel wool or other scouring pads that may scratch the wood.
· Do not steam clean or use chemicals that may damage the wood.
· For messy or sticky spills, clean up as much as possible with a dry cloth, then wipe gently with a damp cloth. Don’t scrub. Scrubbing can drive the stain into the wood.
Calculating Wood Flooring Costs
We present you a list of additional expenditures you may have during or prior to a wood flooring installation project:
· Furniture removal and replacement: you can avoid extra charges by removing your furniture and moving it back by yourself.
· Your previous/old floor covering may need to be removed and disposed of and some installers charge extra. You can also consider doing it by yourself.
· Subfloor preparation: If your subfloor needs to be repaired or treated for unevenness, then pre-installation work may incur additional charges.
· Installation: Be sure your flooring calculations include everything.
· Accessories installation: If the installation procedure requires accessories/additional material/tools, find out if this step is included in the installation agreement. For a professional finish, trims and moldings should be installed at the same time as the floor.
Installation
When choosing wood flooring, installation a very important fact to take into consideration. The method of installation can affect the price, the time it takes to install, and even the way the floor feels under your feet.
· Nail Down/Glue Down – We recommend that you hire a professional installer.
· Floating: Glue-Seam – This kind of installation requires an underlayment between the floor and the subfloor. This can be a suitable DIY project for an experienced handyman.
· Floating: Click-Lock – The click-lock method of installation is the easiest choice for a DIY project. Similar to laminate flooring, the planks are made to lock together without the need for glue or nails and can be laid over any floor surface, as long as it is even and level.
Accessories
Laying a wood floor takes more than planks. Underlayment, moldings, transition pieces, trim, nails, and possibly even adhesives may play a part in installation in order to ensure the health of your family, check with your installer to verify that any materials used are VOC-free.
· Base shoe molding – Molding used when shallower profiles are required – behind bookshelves, for instance.
· Quarter round molding – Used in the same way as a base shoe molding, behind cabinets where a low profile molding is better suited to support an object flush against the wall.
· End molding – A transition molding used when there are pronounced level differences between two rooms.
· Reducer molding – A transition molding placed flat on a floor between two rooms that have slight level differences.
· T molding – A transition molding used between two rooms of the same level.
· Stair Nose molding – For use when making a transition between a wood floor and stairs.
· Baseboards – A very commonly known molding with a flat vertical surface or “profile,” used as a transition between floor and wall.
· Underlayment – Thin foam padding between the floor and the sub-floor.
· Some wood flooring installation requires adhesives. If yours does, make sure your contractor uses a glue that is VOC-free.
Preparing For a Wood Floor Installation
Before the arriving of the installers remove all furniture, appliances, and other objects from the area including inside closets and cabinets. At additional costs some installers will move everything out for you.
If removal of a gas appliance is required, make arrangements with your gas company prior to the day of installation. Disconnecting gas appliances yourself is dangerous and we do not recommend it.
Color and grain variations make every wood floor uniquely beautiful therefore the wood you bring home will not be exactly the same as the showroom sample. You have to be prepared for the natural differences in tone, pattern and shading that make each wood floor a unique masterpiece.